Top 10 Book Promotion Strategies for 2010

A recent survey reveals that authors and publishers are anxious to leverage the benefits of social media marketing as they promote their books in the coming months.

According to Dana Lynn Smith of The Savvy Book Marketer, nearly all – 94 percent of the respondents – said they plan to promote their books with social networking and other social media this year.

“Online book promotion through social media is clearly a popular strategy,” says Smith, a book marketing consultant. “But, it’s important that authors and publishers learn to use these new book promotion tools effectively.”

According to the survey, here are the top 10 book promotion methods that authors and publishers plan to use this year:

1. Social networking and social media: 94 percent

2. Blogging: 84 percent

3. Seeking book reviews: 75 percent

4. Seeking testimonials and endorsements: 73 percent

5. Press releases: 68 percent

6. Ezines or email marketing: 62 percent

7. Radio and television talk shows: 62 percent

8. Speaking or teleseminars: 60 percent

9. Article marketing: 57 percent

10. Book signings: 56 percent

“Despite the emphasis on online book promotion in 2010, more traditional activities like book reviews and radio interviews are still important,” notes Smith. “An effective book promotion plan should use a variety of online and offline tactics for the widest reach.”

Of the 136 people responding to the book promotion strategies survey, 42 percent are independently or self-published authors, 25 percent are authors published by a traditional publishing house, 12 percent are aspiring authors, and 21 percent are publishers or others in the industry.

Dana Smith, who develops marketing plans for nonfiction books, is the author of The Savvy Book Marketer’s Guide to Successful Social Marketing and several other book promotion guides.